Non-Aggressive Ornamental Grasses

Non-aggressive ornamental grasses provide low-maintenance beauty to your landscape, typically growing in clumps or bunches. These eye-catching plants bring your garden to life with movement and sound as the breeze blows through your yard. Plant ornamental grasses anywhere including damp or dry sites, as well as rock gardens. Choose varieties carefully, as many ornamental grasses are invasive or spread quickly.

Damp Site

Thirsty ornamental grasses soak up water and prevent soil erosion. Red hook sedge (Uncinia rubra) has maroon leaves and grows 8 to 15 inches tall and wide in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 8 through 11. It forms clumps and thrives in damp well-drained loam soil with any pH in full sun, partial sun or partial shade. Spiral common rush (Juncus effusus f. spiralis) has whimsical, corkscrew foliage and grows 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9. It thrives in poorly drained soil of any type with acidic to neutral pH in an area receiving full sun, partial sun or partial shade.

Drought Tolerant

Conserve water with these drought tolerant plants that are fine with natural rainfall or drought conditions. Finestem needlegrass (Nassella tenuissima “Pony Tails”), also known as Mexican feather grass and ponytail grass, grows in bunches up to 36 inches high and wide in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 10. It prefers loam or sandy soil with neutral to alkaline pH and full or partial sun. Pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaries) grows clumps of wispy, pink grass 2 to 4 feet high and 1 to 3 feet wide in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 10. This salt-tolerant plant prefers any kind of well-drained soil and full or partial sun.

Rock Gardens

Ornamental grasses are often a perfect addition to rock gardens. Weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) grows in clumps 3 to 4 inches high and wide and produces small, lavender and gray flowers. It flourishes in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 13 in a site featuring loam or sandy soil, any pH and full sun. Black lilyturf (Ophiopogon planiscapus “Nigrescens”), also known as black mondo grass, has deep purple leaves and spreads gradually by short, thick rhizomes. It grows 8 feet high and 1 foot wide in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 11. Black lilyturf prefers a site featuring loam soil with an acidic to neutral pH and full to partial sun.

Giant

Many giant ornamental grasses are aggressive and invasive, but not giant silvergrass (Miscanthus "Giganteus"). This eye-catching, seedless hybrid slowly spreads below ground, but grows quickly above ground to 14 feet tall and 10 feet wide in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9. Plant giant silvergrass in any type of soil with an acidic to neutral pH in full or partial sun. The foliage turns purplish green in the fall and it makes an ideal wind break or privacy screen.

About the Author

Victoria Weinblatt began writing articles in 2007, contributing to The Huffington Post and other websites. She is a certified yoga instructor, group fitness instructor and massage therapist. Weinblatt received her B.S. in natural resources from Michigan State University and an M.Ed. from Shenandoah University.